Maureen Mcguire

Maureen McGuire is a Rochester, New York native. She was born in 1969 to David and Darlene Collins. She has two brothers, David Collins Jr. and Michael Collins. She attended Bishop Kearney High School before pursuing a Bachelor's degree in English at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. She continued on to obtain a graduate degree in journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

After graduating from University of Missouri, she worked as a reporter in Columbia, Jefferson City, Traverse City, St.Louis, and ultimately back in her hometown of Rochester. "I moved back because I wanted to be closer to friends and family. It was the best move I ever made", she stated in an interview.

"I've been working as a journalist for 27 years", she mentioned in the same 2017 interview, "a fact that sometimes surprises me. That's because I had NO idea what career to pursue when I graduated from college." "I studied English and Math in college. Then moved to New York City and spend a couple of years bouncing around from job to job, mostly at publishing companies. I even freelanced as a studio musician playing piano on soundtracks. My interests were all over the place – but instead of drifting along endlessly, I was lucky. At each of my jobs I encountered mentors who picked up on my affinity for writing, and encouraged me to pursue a job where I’d get to write all the time.

"I like this work because no one day is like the other. I get to meet different people all the time. I’m paid to ask questions, do research, take pictures and write my heart out. It really is something. But it’s also stressful. That’s a big downside. Especially in broadcast news, deadlines are always weighing on you."

When asked advice she had for aspiring journalists, she responded: "I always tell beginning reporters to make sure they read a lot. Read the newspaper, study the budget at city hall, make sure you’re up on current events. The more you make that part of your daily practice, the easier it becomes to talk and write about your own content with confidence, because you’re able to put things in context. It’s really important."

"In recent years, I’ve been given lots of opportunities to report on things that matter to me. That includes issues such as caregiving, elder resources, and Alzheimer’s disease. My dad suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and died last year, and some of my most rewarding work chronicled my family’s experience. Knowing it’s helped others makes the work of journalism meaningful in ways I never thought possible when I started out."